Boring device for cigars and the like



May 30, 1933. ENGLEN 1,911,271

BORING DEVICE FOR CIGARS AND THE LIKE Filed May 29, 1930 17 I is 21 I l 187 11 F 1 W Patented May 30, 1933 PATENT? OFFICE FREDERICK J. ENGLEN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA BORING DEVICE FOR CIGARS AND THE LIKE Application filed. May 29, 1930. Serial No. 457,132.

This invention relates to an apparatus for preparing the end of a cigar prior to smoking the same. The invention has for its object the provision of an apparatus embodying motor actuated means for drilling a small bore in the end of a cigar lengthwise of the latter in order to prepare the cigar for smoking and in which apparatus fine particles of tobacco drilled from the cigar will be collected, for subsequent removal, and will thus be prevented from becoming scattered or from entering and interfering with the operation of the actuating mechanism.

In the prior art it has been proposed to trim cigar ends by cutting the same with shearing knives so that the rounded cigar end would be made flat due to the cutting action transverse to the longitudinal axis of the cigar. The flat out, however, had the disadvantage of destroying too much of the wrapper and often exposed too much of the inner part of the cigar and permitted loosening of the general cigar structure durlng smoking. This especially occurred in those instances where the smoker had the habit of biting the cigar end. 0

It has also been proposed to axially punch or bore the tip ends of cigars in order to prepare them for smoking, but all apparatus of that character heretofore produced and of which I am aware had the disadvantage that particles of tobacco produced thereby were free to become scattered so as to produce r objectionable dust or to enter the mechanism employed for effecting the punching or boring and thus to interfere with the operation of such mechanism.

By my invention not only is the shape of V the tip end of the cigar preserved and the loosening of the wrapper thereof prevented when the tip end of the cigar is bored, but the fine particles of tobacco produced by boring the cigar are collected and prevented from becoming scattered or from entering the actuating mechanism; and, after a substantial quantity of such tobacco dust has accu-, mulated in the apparatus, it may be emptied therefrom.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, showing the complete device.

Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe device of Figure 1, with part of the cover broken away.

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the mounting of'the, operating switch.

Referring to the drawing, a base 1 supports a ring 3 on which a motor housmg 4 is mounted. This housing contains an electric motor which per so may be of any known type. The motor is operated by current flowing thru lead wires 5 which enter the base 1 at points 6 and are connected with a circuit closing switch 7, which switch is shown in detail in Figure 3. The armature shaft of the motor carries a spindle 8 which has a cylindrical recess or socket into which the boring tool 9 is rigidly secured, either by soldering, crimping or wedging action. The spindle 8 projects from the motor housing '4 through a central rounded boss 10 on the latter, which in turn projects thru the plate 11 secured to the housing by means of bolts 12. The plate 11 assists in supporting the casing 14 and, with the portion of the casing thereabove, forms a receptacle for the drillings which may be emptied through the opening 21 by inverting the device.

A metal casing 14 covers the motor housing and plate 11 with its lower end resting on the upstanding flange 13 of the supporting ring 3 and has a tubular projection 15 extending upwardly therefrom through which the boring tool 9 extends and which also provides a passageway for a plunger 17. The tubular projection 15 has an internal flange 18 at its lower end which provides a, seat for the lower end of a spring 16 which surrounds the plunger 17. The plunger 17 which is also tubular, is cup-shaped at its upper end to receive the tip end of a cigar and has a shoulder 19 which acts as a seat for the upper' end of the springand also has a flange 20 at its lower end to contact with the inner side of the top wall of the casing 14. An opening 9. 21 is formed in the top wall of the casing 14 through which it may be seen when the chamber formed by the casing 14 and plate 11 is filled with tobacco chips and through which such chips may be emptied by inverting'the 0 apparatus. The boring tool 9 is preferably made of tempered steel.

The switch 7 shown in Figure 8, comprises a bar 122 having a finger piece 23 at one end and fulcrumed at its other end on a pin extending upwardly from the base 1. The bar 22 bears between its ends upon the upper end of a pin 2 which extends through an opening in the base 1 with its lower end resting on the uppermost of a pair of normally separated spring contacts 25. A spring surrounding the pin 24 between the head of the latter and the base 1 urges the pin upwardly against the bar 22. When the finger piece 23 is depressed the lower end of the pin 24 is caused to bear against and to depress the upper contact 25 against the lower contact to close the electric support to the motor.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The fingerpiece 28 of switch 7 is depressed thereby closing the circuit and placing the motor in operation, which causes the spindle 8 which carries the boring tool 9 to rapidly revolve. A cigar, such as is shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 by numeral 26 is placed in the flanged inverted conical cup or" tubular member 17 and pressed downwardly against the action oi" spring 16 with sufficient pressure to cause the rapidly rotating tool 9. to bore a hole in the end of the cigar. Upon removal of the cigar, the tubular member returns to normal position and upon removal of pressure from the fingerpiece, the circuit is broken and the motor stops.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a compact, relatively simple, inexpensive and effective device for quickly producing a hole in the end of a tobacco product, thereby eliminating discomfort and inconvenience to smokers.

WVhile I have indicated the use of an electric motor for operating the rotary boring tool, it will be evident that equivalent means for rotating the tool may be substituted for the same without departing from my invention. j p

I claim: -i

. 1. In combination, a motor having a drill extending therefrom.and'driven thereby, a hollow cover having one end open and partly teieseoped over the motor and anapertured wall at its other end, disk within the cover betwem the motor and saidwall and spaced from the latter whereby drillings will be con-fined between said diskand end wall and may be emptied through the aperture in said wall, a tubular plunger slidably' mounted in said wall concentric with said drill, and spring means urging said plunger outwardly of said wall, said plunger being engageable and depressible by the end of afcigar Drum like to present such end to the drill.

2. In combination, a motor having-a drill extending therefrom and driven thereby, a hollow cove-r having at one end a wall pro 

